


Hard Road

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode Tag, Episode: s02e02 In the Shadow of Two Gunmen Part II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-10-07
Updated: 2000-10-07
Packaged: 2019-05-15 12:38:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14790669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: The night of the shooting through the eyes of John Hoynes.





	Hard Road

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Title: Hard Road 

Author: Christina Hansen 

Classification: POV/crisis 

Rating: PG 

Spoilers: In the Shadow of Two Gunmen Parts 1 & 2 

Summary: The night of the shooting through the eyes of John Hoynes.

Archive: yes, just let me know where

This is my first posted West Wing fic on these lists, so please, be kind.

 

Hard Road

    by Christina Hansen

 

 

 

  
"…I know you got four stars…"

 

The doors burst open. I turn around in surprise, and then I see them. A half dozen armed men bursting in through the doors. Headed right at me. They surround me. Drag me away from the crowd to God-only-knows where. A nightmare? Yes, but I’m awake. A kidnapping? In a way. It’s something that’s supposed to happen, only it’s never supposed to happen. I’m supposed to be ready for this if it happens, but how the hell can I ever be ready for this?

 

Now more of them are clustering around me, closing in on me, creating a wall of bodies like some kind of living shield. Of course they are, that’s what they’re here for. Before I even know it, I’m out of the building, and being pushed into a car. Where am I going? I don’t know. They’re not supposed to tell me that.

 

We’re in the car. Everyone’s tense. No one’s talking to me. I know what’s happened, but I don’t really know. They wouldn’t have reacted this way unless *it* had happened. There’s no need to think it’s anything else.

 

Finally, I’m tired of sitting in silence. I look around at the agents next to me, across from me. I want answers, and by God I’m going to get them.

 

"What happened?"

 

Kids. It’s unbelievable. A couple of kids can do this much damage? We don’t know who they are yet. Or maybe we do but they don’t want to tell me. Why? Are they afraid that I’ll go after the shooters if I know? No, they’re not afraid of that. They’re afraid that I’ll go and do something that a man of my position shouldn’t do. Be physical. Be emotional. 

 

Be human.

 

Back to the White House… ‘Safest place in the world,’ they call it. I don’t believe that for a minute. Leaving my agents behind me, I walk into the Situation Room. I feel like I’m in a daze. I hardly ever come in here, even though I have the right to be in on everything that goes on here. Well, maybe not technically, but no one ever told me that I couldn’t.

 

Leo’s here. At least that’s something. He called me, when the news came back that Jed would be all right and out of surgery soon. Then he told me about Josh. About how he was still fighting. Damn it, Josh is too good a man to have this happen…

 

Oh, God... the officers are standing in my presence. They don’t do that for me...they shouldn’t’ do that for me. "No, as you were, it’s okay."  Old habits die hard. I look down to where I’m about to sit. No, not there. Not that chair. I sit opposite of Leo instead. 

 

I don’t care about the domestic situation. Who gives a damn about the Citibank computers?! Someone just shot the President of the United States.

 

So I blow up. Jack was right, they knew we were going to get them, but I’m not kidding about the Guard. I’ll do it, so help me God, I will.

 

A decision has to be made about Iraq. I can’t make the decisions that Nancy wants me to make. I don’t have the authority to. At least, I don’t think I have the authority. I don’t honestly know if I do. From the look on Leo’s face, I don’t. 

 

The Iraqis are up to something, that much is clear. Getting Hotchkiss out was a great thing, but they’re bound to be pissed as hell that we did it. Is Nancy right, or is she overreacting. 

 

I don’t know what to do.

 

I listen to Leo, look at the reconnaissance photos. I listen to Nancy, and then  to Leo again.

 

I have to do something. 

 

"Nancy, we’re going to follow Leo for the moment."

 

I don’t care how we deal with this. We will. 

 

I hear Leo’s voice. "Don’t mess with us tonight."

 

I nod my agreement.

 

Josh is still in surgery. Leo says he’ll let me know how it goes. I just nod. Lyman’s a good kid.

 

It’s funny. Back during the campaign, when Jed Bartlet was just the ex-Governor of New Hampshire running on a grassroots effort, and Josh was working for me... He handed me the election. He told me everything I needed to do to win. I ignored him. I surrounded myself with yes-men like Mike, and that woman who’s name I can’t even remember. Josh wanted to bring in new speechwriters. He said he had a good one, one he knew from Congress. I told him no. He wanted to work on Social Security, I told him to get off my ass.

 

I didn’t know it at the time, but Josh was about to jump ship on me. He was fed up, I know. We weren’t saying anything. I had the best around, or so I thought. Jed Bartlet had Leo McGarry. Then Josh left. Leo came to him, and he found… something… in Bartlet.  Leo had Toby Zeigler, and Toby got CJ Cregg... and Josh managed to pull Sam Seaborn away from a partnership at the second largest firm in New York City... 

 

It’s quite a group. Arrogant, cocky, but they’re all good people. They’re good at what they do. We all chose to take this road, not knowing where we’d end up, just sure that we were right to take it. I just pray that tonight won’t destroy any chance any of us have of making to the end of that road.

 

I hear an agent outside the door. Then I hear Leo’s voice.

 

We have ourselves a problem, and we have to solve it… now.

 

The End

  


End file.
